Chain conveyer.



No. 831,1114 PATENT@ 001,. s, 1901;. M. H. BALLARD.

CHAIN CONVEYBR.

.APPLIOATION FILED APR.14,19G6.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

A( Y www M/M( @Ww l WW SATBNTED 00T. 9, 1906 M. H. BALLARD. CHAINCONVEYBR.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 14,

www.

3o in Flgvl.

4o connected to' intermediate links. sprocket-chains are separatelymounted upon UNITED sTATns 'm "rr-:Nr err-Io A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

CHAIN CONVEYER.

Specicatign of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 9, 1906,

Application filed April 14. 1906. ScrialNo. 311,677.

ro filed November 8,l 1 905, an apparatus is shown for feeding orangesand other articles havingan endless conveyor formed with pockets 'eachadapted to receive 'a single orangev and arranged to successively dis- Icharge the oranges at one end thereof as it is moved along; and theconstruction of said I endless conveyer formsthe subject-matter of thisapplication.

The object of this invention is to improve v 2o 'the construction ofendless conveyors, to the end that separate pockets ofv improvedconstruction are provided at yregular intervals 'v along the conveyeradapted each to receive .a single orange and as the conveyerv moves 'z 5along to be inverted for the purpose of discharging the orange containedin it.

Figure 1 shows in plan view an endless conveyer, embodying thisinvention.- sideel'evation ot the endless conveyer shown Fig. 3 is anenlarged longitudinal section of a portion of the-endless conveyer shownin Fig. 1. Fig. 4 vertical section of the endless con veyer shown inFig. 3, taken on the dotted line 4 4. Fig. 5 isa vertical section of theendless eonvever shown in Fig. 3

taken on the dotted line 5 5.

I 430 43() represent two endless sprocketchains of usual construction,each comprising a plurality oi pairs of outside links loosely rl`he twoand adapted to be moved continuously by vsprocket-wheels 431 432, whichare located.'

at the opposite ends thereof and disposed in 45 approximately the samehorizontal plane.

The sprocket-wheels turn on horizontal axes.

'Hence the sprocket -chains are disposed in vertical planes and side byside.

The sprocket-chains are connected to- 5o v'ge'ther at regular intervalsby cross-bars 403,

which are'covered with or inclosed b rubber or felt or other yieldingmateria said l cross-bars being spaced apart sufliciently to providespaces or recesses between them, each adapted to receive asingle orange.By covering the cross-bars with yielding material or otherwise providingyielding crossbars l obviate bruising the fruit as it is dropped betweenthem. The cross-bars are connected to or formed integral with thepivot-pins by which the links of the chains are connected together. Alsobetween the sprocket-chains and at points approximatelyv equidistantbetween the cross-bars'plates are arranged, having Aupturned .ends 439,which are' rigidly secured to thev sprocketpivot-pins which pass,through the opposite ends of the interi'nediate links. T he upturnedends 439 are made long enough to support the plates some littledistancefrom the chains, and they extend inward from the chains, so that saidplates serve as bottom plates for the orange receiving pockets, whichare formed by said plates in conjunction with the cross-bars and chains,the latter forming the tops of the pockets. The' forward edges ofthebottom plates are extended to form lips. The endless conveyer thusprovided or formed with a series of orange-receiving pockets, which are,arrangedv at regular distances apart.

. The cross-bars and upt'urned ends of the bottom plates are arrangedbetween and connected to the adjacent sides of the sprocketchains, so asto pass freely between and not engagethe,sprocket-wheels as the chainspass over said wheels. By rigidly connectingthe bottom plates to thesprocket-chains it will be seen that as the chains pass around thebecome inverted and the oranges contained in the pockets will bedischarged, falling therefrom by gravi ty. sprocket-wheels, as 432, willbe positively driven to thereby continuously move the conveyer, andtoaccomplish this-result said a sprocket-chain 435 passes around saidsprocket-wheel L't3-l and also around a sprocket-wheel 436, whirl] issecurm to u driving-shaft.

One of the pairs olisprocket-wheels are secured to a slml't'4l, to vwlnclra sprocket-wheel 434 is secured, and

chains-"as, for instance, they'inay be mount ved upon, and therebyconnected with, the

sprocket-wheels the said bottom plates will lool them it intervals andplates remotely disposed relative to the sprocket-chains, and

which are rigidly Connected to said sprocketeheins, between saideross-bars, to thereby forni pockets adapted to be inverted when passingaround the sprocket-Wheels, substan tielly as described.

2. An endless conveyor consisting of. n pair of sproelretehninsycross-bers connectingr them :it regular intervals and plates b21-vingupturned ends which are connected to seid spror-.liet-eheins betweenseid Gross-bers and Whieh extend inward to thereby form pockets.substantially es described.

3. An endless eonveyer consisting of s pair of sprocket-Chains, yieldingcross-bers oon? meeting them together at regular intervals, and plateshaving upturned ends which are connected to said sprocket-chains betweensaid cross-bars, and which extend inward to thereby forni pockets,substantially es described.

4. An endless eonveyer consisting ol e pair of sproeketehains,cross-bars connecting thein togethertt regular intervals, and plat-eshaving upturned ends rigidly connected to said sprocket-chains betweenseid cross-bers and extended inward to thereby forni peekets,substantially described.

in testimony whereof I have signed my naine to this speoifieation in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

MILTON H. BALLARD,

, Witnesses:

B. J. NoYns, H. B. DAvis.

